Pets can be a major cause of accidental damage to all sorts of items around your home, but in particular to upholstered furniture such as chairs and sofas.
Who can blame our cats and dogs for wanting to snuggle up in the comfiest place possible? It’s natural for them to want to sit near you and be a part of the family. But claws, teeth and animal hair should really be kept away from your fabric or leather suite.
If you have pets in your home, here are a few ideas for how to protect your sofa from pet damage.
- Assign boundaries
If at all possible, it’s best to not allow your pets on to your sofa. Even the most well behaved of animals can catch a thread with a claw and dogs in particular can create scuffs on leather if they jump up on to furniture. Even rubbing their faces or bodies on the sides or arms of a chair can cause wear over time. Try to get into the habit of keeping your living room closed off to pets when you’re not at home.
- Cover it up
If banning pets from the furniture isn’t an option, at least put a barrier in between. A thick throw or double layered pet blanket spread over your sofa while you’re out should help minimise any contact. And try and encourage your animals to sit on your knee with you, rather than allowing them their own seat!
- Keep an eye out
It’s totally natural for your animals to think the new sofa you’ve invested in is a gift just for them and it will be hard for them to understand why they can’t do as they like with it! They will be particularly interested in the smell of a new piece of furniture and will want to make it part of their ‘territory’. Watch out for damaging behaviour, such as cats scratching the furniture or dogs having a chew. If you spot them making a beeline, try to distract them with something more appealing, such as a scratching post scented with catnip, or a new chewy toy.
- Make sure to maintain
Keeping on top of regular care and maintenance for your chair or sofa will help keep it looking pristine for as long as possible.
You’ll find tips and ideas about caring for your furniture here. You can also buy La-Z-Boy branded leather care kits to keep your leather furniture looking tip-top.
If the unfortunate happens and your furniture does suffer damage from a pet, please contact your retailer who will advise you about options available to have your sofa or chair repaired by an upholstery professional.
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